La Crema Russian River pinot noir review: DAMMIT!

13082011

Today we look at a 2009 pinot from California that costs $32-$40. I found it at Total Wine for $36.

La Crema has been making good pinot noir for a long time. They have various “levels” of pinot, including Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley, Monterey (which we reviewed right here), and Russian River (today’s wine under review). Prices for these varieties range from $17 to $90. Ouch.

The $36 Russian River pinot is ballsy. Medium bodied, verging on full bodied. Crack it open and buckle up — tart spices are about to invade your taste buds. But first, when you smell it, you’ll get a nose full of clove and cinnamon, along with a brambly garden aroma of roses and mushrooms.

On your tongue, there isn’t much cherry, which I usually expect from a California pinot noir. Instead, there’s cola, alcohol, tart blackberry, and a kind of spicy pine forest taste with espresso-ish tannins. It’s hard to describe. It’s that “complex, beautiful-yet-kickass expensive California pinot” taste. And it’s calling you back for more. Dammit!